


Reflecting Light

by Meags09



Series: Soundtrack [3]
Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2016-07-08
Packaged: 2018-07-22 09:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7430701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meags09/pseuds/Meags09
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in episode 421 Last Week Fights, This Week Tights. All it takes is a dance, a self-help book, and a little moonlight to make them see what's always been there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reflecting Light

_And the moon's never seen me before_

_But I'm reflecting light_

* * *

She was radiant. It was the only word that came to mind as they moved around the makeshift dance floor. Her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and the moonlight glinted off of it. When she rested her chin on his shoulder, he was overpowered by the smell of her shampoo.

She was always beautiful, but tonight she was also sweet and soft. It was a side to her that he wasn't used to. She must have known that tonight was different; the air between them had changed into something electric and dangerous, yet oddly comforting. Touches and looks between them lingered longer than normal. And the feeling of her being in his arms, after all this time, felt so right he wanted to memorize everything about it.

Without realizing it, he began to pull her closer as they danced. He didn't notice until they were flush against each other and he had to consciously recite baseball stats in his head to avoid a physical reaction. She had a shy smile on her face, and it emboldened him to pull her even closer. She leaned into him, and he felt a surge of hope mixed with desire.

The past year had been a whirlwind for Luke. He had jumped into a relationship with Nicole because he was feeling desperate, but all it had caused was more pain. The icing on the whole damn cake had been how she hadn't even given him the courtesy of ending it before she moved on. At least this time he wouldn't be expecting her back in his diner with another ridiculous plan to begin dating again. In some twisted way, he felt like he had deserved it. It had been a fruitless attempt to get Lorelai out of his head, but all it had done was remind him of what he was missing.

Leading her around the dance floor in a amateurish recreation of the waltz Miss Patty had attempted to teach him once upon a time, he felt as though all the pieces were coming together. No words were exchanged while they stepped and turned, but he felt more connected to her than to anyone he'd ever known. He would take it slow, see where it would lead. And he would enjoy every minute of it.

* * *

_I rode the pain down_

_Got off and looked up_

_Looked into your eyes_

* * *

The rest of the wedding passed in a haze for Lorelai. As they chatted with a variety of Liz and TJ's renaissance faire friends, Luke kept finding subtle ways to brush against her or whisper in her ear in a way that made her knees weak. At one point, he rested his hand gently on the curve of her lower back, and she had to conceal a gasp. It was a fraction of a moment, but the sensation burned through the thin silk of her dress to her skin.

She was sipping a glass of wine and waiting for Luke to return from getting his own drink when Liz appeared in front of her. Her face was flushed and she looked the part of the beautiful bride.

"Having a good time?" she asked, a slight smile playing at her lips.

Lorelai couldn't help but smile back. She liked Liz and thought her cheerfulness was contagious. "A great time," she agreed enthusiastically. "Where's TJ?"

Liz pointed behind Lorelai, towards the dance floor. "Trying to get my friend Carrie off of his brother," she said with a laugh. Lorelai turned to see TJ pulling his brother away from Carrie, who had a sassy lipstick-smudged grin on her face. With a giggle, Lorelai turned back to Liz. "So you and my brother, huh?"

Lorelai's wide smile faltered. "It's not what you think," she said, trying to explain. "We're just friends."

"I see you're wearing the earrings," Liz said, with a knowing nod. Lorelai's free hand immediately went to her earlobe to finger the delicate jewelry. "You know, when I gave them to him, I told him to give them to the woman he loves." Liz looked her directly in the eyes, the lie coming easily. She couldn't help but play matchmaker. Luke was always taking care of everyone else; she wanted to take care of him for a change. And no one who knew Luke as well as she did would have missed how completely smitten he was with this dark-haired woman.

Lorelai tried not to react, but her eyes widened and her lips pursed. "Well, after the whole cheating thing, I guess he wasn't feeling very loving towards Nicole," she said instead.

"Sure, sure," Liz replied agreeably, but the look on her face told Lorelai she wasn't buying it. Lorelai knew it was a weak excuse. Things between Luke and Nicole hadn't even escalated to that point by the Firelight Festival, when he had surprised her with the gift.

"Liz." A deep voice interrupted their conversation. Luke stepped closer, positioning himself between the two ladies. He saw Liz's crafty smile and narrowed his eyes. "She pestering you?" he asked Lorelai, tipping his glass slightly in Liz's direction.

"No, she was just telling me about her jewelry business," Lorelai said, fixing a bright smile on her face.

"Well, I'm going to go find TJ," Liz said, squeezing Luke's shoulder lovingly. "See ya later, big brother."

As she walked away, craning her neck to spot her new husband, Luke turned back to Lorelai. "What did she say to you?"

"Nothing," Lorelai replied. She took a lingering sip from her wine in order to avoid answering further questions. Luke watched her for a moment, then decided to let it go. Another friend of Liz and TJ's sidled up to them, and they were caught in another conversation.

* * *

_The lost open windows_

_All around_

* * *

"I hate to be a party pooper," Lorelai said slowly, as they finished their drinks.

"You need to get home?" Luke asked. He felt a twinge of disappointment that their evening had already come to an end. He took her glass and set both of them on a nearby table.

"Yeah, I have a lot to do tomorrow." She began to fidget in a manner he found adorable. Her hands swept through her hair, removing her flowery wreath. "Rory's coming home now that she's done with finals and I have some last minute things I need to do before the test run."

"I'll walk you home," he said.

"Oh no, that's fine," she replied, flustered.

"I insist," he said, dropping his chin and giving her a shy smile that she couldn't help but think meant something more than just the words alone.

The walk home in the dark was tranquil. Just two old friends, side by side, the rustle of her dress and his jacket the only sounds at first. Lorelai felt nervous, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why. _It was that dance_ , she decided, _that's what it was_. The feel of his warm hand splayed across her back, her breasts crushed against his hard chest, and the pounding of his heart betraying his calm exterior. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she recalled how it had felt to be in such close proximity. Her nervous instincts took over, and she began babbling about all the crazy and weird happenings from the wedding and reception.

When she admitted that the dance was her favorite part of the evening, she felt something between them shift. He looked increasingly confident, but she felt like a nervous wreck. And after he suggested they go see a movie together, it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to keep it together. But she couldn't end the night like this. Not after everything had already changed between them. There was no going back.

"You want a beer?" she asked, as he turned to leave. He seemed surprised, but agreed. She slipped inside, depositing the wreath on the table next to the door, and continuing to the kitchen. She paused as she reached the refrigerator, holding onto the handle tightly. Closing her eyes, she took a couple of deep breaths, then grabbed two beers and returned to the porch.

* * *

_My dark heart lit up the skies_

* * *

Luke was already sitting on the porch steps when she came back outside. She sat next to him, careful to leave plenty of space between them.

"So Jess seems like he's doing alright," Lorelai said, handing him the beer. Their fingers brushed against each other slightly as he took the bottle from her. He felt the familiar jolt of desire just from her casual touch, but this time he noticed that she felt it, too.

"Yeah, I think he's finally getting it together."

Lorelai nudged him with her shoulder. "Thanks to you," she said.

Luke snorted. "Maybe, I don't know. Maybe he just got lucky."

"Nah, it's you. You don't know how much it helped him, having you in his corner." She smiled. "I might have to check out that book, maybe it's a miracle cure. Where do you think he got it?" Luke coughed, and she glanced over at him. He clearly looked embarrassed. "No!" she gasped in surprise.

"You're the one who said we probably had Dr. Phil in our future!" he said defensively.

"Half the time I'm babbling away I don't think you're actually listening to me," she replied, a teasing note to her voice.

"I'm just tired of being alone," Luke said with a sigh. He tipped his bottle back and drained the rest. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah," she replied quietly, her thoughts tumbling all over the place. They were dancing around it, but not quite reaching what was bubbling just under the surface between them. It hadn't been that long ago she had been a blubbering mess on his shoulder, wailing about wanting a partner to pick up her slack. He couldn't have forgotten all the times she had whined and complained about having the "whole package". She didn't understand what was happening. Was this really Luke "Only Ducks Mate for Life" Danes? Did he want more?

"This was a great night. Thanks for the beer. I'll let you get your rest." He stood up, placing the empty bottle on the porch. "Good night," he said, and she nodded in response. He started walking down the driveway, an easy lope to his gait. Lorelai couldn't take it anymore. She had to know.

* * *

_Give up the ground_

_Under your feet_

* * *

"Was this a date?"

The question stopped Luke in his tracks, mid-stride. He turned slowly to face her. She hadn't moved from her spot on the porch stairs, but her head was down and she was prying the label on her beer bottle with her fingernail.

"Would it be okay if it was?" he asked, his throat suddenly dry.

"That depends," she replied, looking up to meet his eyes. He couldn't read her expression in the dim porch light. She looked at him, and he waited for her to continue. "Is there going to be an end of the date kiss?"

"Do you want me to kiss you?" His voice was hoarse and his heart was beating fast.

"Come here," she whispered.

* * *

_And now that I've worn out, I've worn out the world_

_I'm on my knees in fascination_

* * *

He came closer, kneeling forward onto the bottom step between her legs and steadying himself so he was looking into her eyes. He reached a hand to her neck, and pulled her closer with a gentle, feather-light touch. Tentatively, their lips met. The kiss was slow and soft, lips brushing gently, getting to know each other in this new way. She clung to his neck, and he moved the other arm to go around her waist. They were so wrapped up in one another that they were barely aware that Lorelai's beer fell over, rolling down the steps and spilling its remaining contents.

* * *

_Looking through the night_

* * *

Rory could tell something was different when she approached the house. It was a little past midnight when she made it back to Stars Hollow. She was still shaken after her confrontation with Jess. She had originally intended to spend one last night in her dorm room and pack up her car in the morning. But the idea of being, as far as she was aware, the last person on campus filled her with too much anxiety to sleep. After sitting in her empty room for awhile, feeling confused and sick to her stomach, she decided to leave everything and come back for it the next morning.

She began to climb the front steps when she saw the discarded beer bottle. Wrinkling her forehead in confusion, she walked to the door and slipped her key in the lock. When she opened it, her eyes fell on a trail of clothing that started just inside the foyer and appeared to lead to the staircase. She knew that her mom had been planning to go to Liz's wedding, and was slightly concerned that she drank too much tequila and passed out naked before making it to her bed. But as her eyes adjusted to the dark interior, she saw the suit jacket.

Slowly backing up, Rory went back outside and shut the door. She locked it quietly. Tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ears, she decided to spend the night at Lane's. It would be less likely to be traumatizing for all of them that way. On her way back to her Prius, she couldn't help but giggle a little that her mother had finally seen what had been waiting for her all of this time.

* * *

_And the moon's never seen me before_

_But I'm reflecting light_

* * *

Luke lay on his back, half covered by the sheet, as Lorelai slept beside him. He should be asleep, too, but his thoughts were racing. He replayed the conversation he'd had with Jess just a few days before. He'd announced that things were going to change, and that he wasn't going to be so hopeless with relationships going forward. But he hadn't even dreamed that a simple wedding invite could have been all it took. He had planned for the long haul; a slow yet persistent courtship. He was going to woo her with dates and flowers, embrace his inner romantic fool.

His grand plans seemed to be for nothing. Inwardly, he scolded himself. Maybe if he had asked her on a date years ago, they could be married by now. Maybe he would have gotten over his irrational fear of children. The thought of a curly-haired, blue-eyed baby made equally of each of them stirred feelings within him that he didn't even know he possessed. Living in the past was pointless, he knew. He could only look forward, to a future he hadn't dared hope for. Until now.

She was radiant. It was the only word that came to mind as he gazed over her sleeping body. The only light in the room came from the moon outside her curtain, bathing her bare body in strips of blue light. Her hair was spread over the pillow, and he gently swept an errant curl behind her ear. He couldn't recall the last time he had felt so whole and at peace. She was simply radiant.


End file.
